‘The Importance of good admin’
Blackburn’s Blog Take 4
Welcome back to my blog. So far, we have journeyed through ‘The Past, the Present and the Future’, Blackburn’s Quiz and Risk vs Reward (the importance of the Rehabilitation) and for my fourth blog, I hope to give you a glimpse of the team dynamics aboard an Ocean Rowing Boat.
The R45 Elite Ocean Rowing Boat is not a boat you would be familiar with unless you had a connection with Ocean Rowing, and yet it is still the fastest four-person rowing boat in the oceans. Having broken nearly every record in the Atlantic, it has been built to be as user friendly as possible whilst simply being a great boat to take with you on your adventures. This exceptional rare boat has certainly stirred up a few curious questions, ranging from seamanship and navigation to everyday eating and sleeping.
Transitioning up and down the Boat
There is a whole new language when it comes transitioning up and down the boat. With all crew members donning a waist harness when outside the cabins, they must always be clipped onto the parallel straps anchored along the port (left) and starboard (right) side of the boat. Maintaining a one-way direction of travel means all crew members can then transit around the boat by clipping in and around objects (oars) using the two carabiners (one is always attached when moving). This sounds all rather easy and it is most of the time but with a little added pressure from the ocean or even the sudden need to rush to the toilet and you can find yourself walking like Bambi on Ice.
Eating and Drinking
Eating and drinking really is key to sustaining the energy required for carrying out this mammoth mission. One is reliant on the ocean and a certain man-made contraption, and the other is brought aboard. Can you guess which one is which?????
Yes, you guessed it, food is brought aboard (all 830 packets) and stored in the hull. Drinking water is filtered from the ocean using an onboard water maker. During our training, the team got to trial the freeze-dried food and although it wasn’t Michelin star recipes, it wasn’t half bad. After the hot water is added and left to settle for a few minutes, you can smell and taste what could be the making of a tasty cottage pie. Calorific output was good and generally speaking once the sea sickness had settled you felt rather satisfied. Continuous drinking is vital and with endless supply of water, looking after each other and reminding one another to keep hydrated will be key to our journey.
Sleeping
I think the photo depicts the sleeping arrangements very well and requires little explanation; space is very tight, with extremely little room to manoeuvre. Our team height spans from 5ft 5’ to 6ft 3’ and at times you can feel like sardines in a can no matter what. During our row across the Atlantic, there will only be one person in the cabin (unless the sea state changes, and we are on para-anchor) which will provide for a little more flex and afford an extra millimetre of stretch and reach. During your down time and after the daily jobs have been completed, it’s important to grab onto those old man 40 winks, as sleep deprivation is something we can’t avoid. As four soldiers, I really felt that our honed drills of a clean and tidy cabin really did come to the forefront around Skye. I remember Laura and I were always supporting each other and when we were due to swap at the start and end of each shift, we would have a double check of the cabin and make sure it was in good order for the next person. It will be the little things that will keep frustration to a minimal and make for a slick team.
Lavatory #Bucket
A common question is where do you go for a No1 or 2, is it below deck? Do you hangover the side? Can people see you? When explaining to my friends and family on how you actually go to the toilet, I always end up getting a few weird looks and understandably so…Having a No2 in a bucket whilst on deck can at first be a little intimidating, however two poos and copious amounts of wees later and it all becomes part and parcel of the experience. I think at one point there was even a conversation on anchoring whilst having a No1. For toilet orientation, the bucket is located to the bow (front) of the boat, which is positioned behind the rowers and as the person in the bow cabin is generally sleeping or is polite enough to turn away, sitting on the bucket is pretty easy going. To keep the bucket clean, we felt that a little spray, followed by a dip in the ocean kept the area hygienic.
Daily Hygiene
Hygiene will range from a daily wash to changing of fresh clothing and preventing unwanted salt and repetition sores. Sweat and salt is not a good mix, so it will be paramount that the correct level of hygiene is maintained. As a team we will be looking towards two sources, the use of ocean soap and biodegradable wipes but it will also be down to frequency of personal cleanliness that will be crucial to keeping illness and soreness free. Each time we come off the oars it will be essential that we wash away any salt, especially surrounding the seated area as bum sores is something we want to keep away. We will be trialling the water maker for the first time on our next trip and we hope to establish a working routine inclusive of drinking and cleaning.
Daily Tasks
As you will already be aware the row across the Atlantic will comprise of 2 hrs rowing, followed by 2 hrs off the oars but this doesn’t mean it’s all down time, tasks are to be completed, chores are to be done. These will comprise of cleaning of the boat, which will range from keeping the solar panel free from salt to maintaining a clean deck, and after only 72hrs around the Isle of Skye we quickly realised how dirty a boat can become. In addition to a clean boat, navigational and chart plotting is to be maintained, VHF comms and general electronic maintenance is also not to overlooked.
Summary
Although this is an exciting and rewarding challenge it is imperative that we look after our fifth team member - ‘our vessel’ - in order to have a safe and supported crossing. We are super excited to receive our very own R45 Elie boat in Jul/Aug and will be christening her in Aug 21 when we next do on the water training.
Future Plans Lead,
WO1 Victoria Blackburn